Mayor Charlie Hales Says Crosswalk Funding Must Wait for Street Fee

Hales' budget does fund a study of light-rail to Tualatin

Portland Mayor Charlie Halesreleased a proposed city budget Thursday largely free of the dramatic threats to sacred cows (and horses) that marked his last budgeting season.

But Hales' proposals for the $423 million general-fund budget include one striking omission: He's not supplying the $1 million requested by City Commissioner Steve Novick to build crosswalks for pedestrian safety.

Hales said he sees planning the Southwest Corridor high-capacity transit line as a long-term investment, rather than a stop-gap measure.

"We ought to stay in that game, so long as we have a transit agenda," Hales said. "That doesn't mean we don't have a mess on the [maintenance] side. But it's a ray of light."

A city audit in February 2013 found spending on new construction—such as $55 million on the Milwaukie light-rail extension—has left the transportation bureau without enough money for basic road upkeep.

Novick tells WW he's disappointed not to see the crosswalks funded before passing a fee, but understands Hales chose other priorities such as homeless services.

"The mayor's got a tough job," Novick says. "I thought [the $1 million] would have been sort of a down payment. Spending some money on it would have showed how serious we are. But I understand where he's coming from."